Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-07-07
CHAPTER XXVI
"a Draw WOOER.

~ do not see," said the Duke of cath,
"wbat age has to do witt il at all.
We love each other!' Why should we
spend the best years of our life in wait
ing for each other! You say that Ethel
is only just eighteen. My answer is
that she will be the most beautiful
young duchess in England! BE reason
able, Lord Stair. Why should we waltz"
"l on are both so young" was the
anxious reply, IL is quite possible that
you may both change your minds"
Nonsense Lord STAIR" cried the
young duke, impatiently. "Do you
think there is another Ethel in the
world,''
mo, that do not" cried the anxions
father; "but | would have you be care
full. An unhappy marriage spolls the
life that has fairest prospects. You are
both so young, and it is sudden. too.
Last year you did not know my Ethel;
now you cannot live without her."
"Love that comes quickly lasts long
est" said the young duke. "All true
love comes like flash of lightning. |
have seen nothing but Ethers face since
| saw her first. Ii | wait fifty years
shall never love any one else. Let US
be happy while we are young"
"What does Ethel say?" asked Lord
Stair.
Ethel thinks as | do" replied the
duke promptly. "lndeed you will save
yourself much trouble, Lord Stair, by
giving prompt consent. l love Ethel
so dearly, can not live out of her
sight. If you make us wait another
year | shall be always here. | should
come three times week at least; and
| H. n INNh Il oh a
spend all my time in writing to her.
| could not help myself any more than
the sun can help attracting the dew, or
the moon drawing the tides. | have
no thoughts but OF Ethel. ! dream of
Ethel when the stars are shining at
night; when the sun shines in the day,
/ see Ethers face VIII arever | look. The
wind whispers about Ethel, and the
birds sing of her. She fills the whole
world to me, and see no one else in it,.
1t would be useless to part us. | would
walk over red hot plowshares to reach
Ethel. | would swim the seas, traverse
the deserts; all, nothing-nothing but
death could keep me from Ethel. Why
keep us apart for another Year,"
you are about the most impetuous
lover | ever saw in my life," cried Lord
Stair. II must see what Ethel says"
! The Duke of Meath looked like most
determined wooer; he was the best
match in England-young, handsome,
/ enormously rich; he owned Meath
Castle, one of the finest mansions in
England; he owned Blackwood Hall, in
Kent, where the sweet southern seas
kiss the white shore; he owned a mag
niticent and most picturesque mansion
called 1.-The Tarn," In Cumberland, a
beautiful modern villa in the Isle of
! Wight, a fine chateau in the south of
France; the difficulty would be to say
what he did not own. He had been
! for some years q minor, and had vast
accumulation of money. He was hand
some, with certain dark patrician
beauty; his eyes were clear, vivid dark
blue, his hair dark-brown; he had dark
healthy color, only seen on the face of
an Englishman; brown moustache did
not hide the lines of q beautiful mouth;
he was tall with something of soldier
! ly bearing, with broad shoulders and
broad chest.
He was clever and generous his
chief fault was pride; he was proud of
his descent, proud ofhis name and race,
! proud, above all, that the name was
stainless. The Duke of Meath came of
age when he was twenty-one, and from
that day he was the most popular man
in England. The best match in the three
kingdoms. Many beautiful young
debutante was brought out purposely
to please him, The one end and aim
of the young ladies in society was to be
Duchess of Meath.
They all tried to please him, blond 9
and brunette, pretty and plain, old and
young, but he was invulnerable. The
Marchioness of Holte, who had proved
herself to be one OF the most accom-
plished match-makers of modern times,
even she had failed. The youngest
daughter of the marchioness was a
pretty girl, and Lady Holte would have
considered herself crowned with victory
If Che could have secured for her the
title and fortune OF the Duke of Meath
The young duke was wise man; he
had every grand and beautiful gift In
this world, and he meant to marry for
love-not beneath him; he was too proud
a man. The story of Lord Burleigh
had no attraction for him, he felt sure
1 of himself. 1t would only be beauty,
goodness, and refinement that would
charm him; with those good birth and
good breeding were Indispensable. The
duke always intended TO marry young.
He had great ideas of his -esponsiblli-
ties, of his duty to his tenants and his
dependents; he had no thought of spend
ing his life in idleness or luxury, and he
wanted wife to help and encourage
him.
Those were his ideas before he fell
a a.. f.ll h.